Parental Substance Use Training

Westmorland and Furness Safeguarding Children Partnership (WFSCP) and Cumberland Safeguarding Children Partnership (CSCP)  are pleased to welcome Recovery Steps to deliver this important training, which follows on from learning identified in recent local reviews.

This session explores the impact of parental drug and alcohol use on children and young people, drawing on learning from recent local reviews. It aims to strengthen practitioners’ understanding, confidence and multi‑agency responses when supporting families affected by substance use.

📅 Wednesday 16 September 🕐09:30 - 12:30pm 📍MS Teams

To sign up, please email: wfscptraining@cumbria.gov.uk with your full name, job title, organisation & email address.

Trauma Informed Training

This full-day, in-person training is open to all staff, including support and frontline teams. It explores how trauma impacts the brain, body, and behaviour and how adopting a trauma-informed approach can improve the way we support individuals, communities, and each other at work.

Participants will reflect on applying trauma-informed principles in their own practice, services, and organisations.

📅 Thursday 24 September 🕐09:30 - 16:30pm 📍Barrow Town Hall

To sign up, please email: wfscptraining@cumbria.gov.uk with your full name, job title, organisation & email address.

Working Together to Safeguard Children: Level 3

This course is designed for professionals working at Level 3 competency with responsibilities for keeping children safe. The training builds a shared understanding of risk management, roles and responsibilities, thresholds for services, and good practice when working with children, young people and families.

📅 Wednesday 14 October 2026 🕐 12:30 - 16:30pm 📍Kendal 

📅 Wednesday 11 November 2026 🕐 12:30 - 16:30pm 📍Barrow

📅 Thursday 14 January 2027 🕐 12:30 - 16:30pm 📍Kendal

📅 Wednesday 10 March 2027 🕐 12:30 - 16:30pm📍Penrith 

📅 Thursday 13 May 2027 🕐 12:30 - 16:30pm 📍Barrow

📅 Tuesday 6 July 2027 🕐 12:30 - 16:30pm 📍Kendal

📅Thursday 16 September 2027🕐 12:30 - 16:30pm 📍Penrith 

To sign up, please email: wfscptraining@cumbria.gov.uk with your full name, job title, organisation & email address.

Neglect - Learning from National Panel report (Lunch & Learn)

This session, delivered by Westmorland and Furness Safeguarding Children Partnership, will focus on the key learning from the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panels recently published thematic review of Neglect (published April 2026). The thematic analysis, examines multi-agency responses to child neglect in cases of serious harm or death. The session will summarise the main themes from the report and focus in on 

• Understanding and identifying child neglect
• Child centred practice
• Multi-agency working
• Interventions and planning

The session will also include reference to local learning, statistics and what different professionals need to consider within their roles in order to identify, assess and respond effectively to Neglect.

📅 Friday 11 September 🕐13:00 - 14:00pm 📍MS Teams

To sign up, please email: wfscptraining@cumbria.gov.uk with your full name, job title, organisation & email address.

Contextual Safeguarding Network (CADAS)

This session will provide practitioners with an overview of the Youth Substance Team with input from CADAS and the support available to children and young people affected by substance use. Attendees will gain a refreshed understanding of referral pathways, current and emerging trends in youth substance use, and the links between substance use, vulnerability, and exploitation that are being identified through practice.

📅 Tuesday 22 September 🕐10:00 - 12:00pm 📍Barrow Town Hall

To sign up, please email: wfscptraining@cumbria.gov.uk with your full name, job title, organisation & email address.

Cumbria United Against Suicide is offering free suicide prevention training for sports clubs across Cumbria. The sessions help participants recognise the signs that someone may be struggling, build confidence in talking about suicide, and understand how to offer practical support. With a focus on the role of sports clubs, the training includes lived-experience videos highlighting how teammates, coaches and club members can make a positive difference.

Available sessions include:

• 90-minute Suicide Alertness Bitesize Training
• Half-Day Suicide Alertness Training – ideal for Welfare Officers, Safeguarding Leads, coaches, and committee members. Completion of this training also qualifies participants for the countywide Orange Button Scheme.
• 90-minute Bitesize Training for coaches working with young people

Book your free place here: Cumbria United Training Dates

The revised Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) 2026 statutory guidance has been published, although does not come into force until 1 September 2026, for the 2026/27 academic year. It follows a Department Education Consultation that closed in April 2026, introducing major structural and policy shifts for schools and colleges in England.

Education establishments should continue to follow Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) 2025 until close of play on 31 August 2026. 

Key changes in KCSIE 2026 include new and updated guidance around: regulations and safeguarding requirements on school premises; children requiring mental health support; young carers; children who are questioning their gender; and safer recruitment and regulated activity.

Across the two weeks, there was a wide range of excellent sessions delivered, and the partnership would like to extend sincere thanks to everyone who attended, facilitated sessions, and contributed to the planning of the programme. It has been a very busy fortnight of learning, observations of practice and collaborative audits, all supporting a positive learning culture where we continue to thrive together.

The WFSCP CSA Strategy has now been launched and provides a shared framework to support our work in preventing, identifying and responding to child sexual abuse. Colleagues are encouraged to familiarise themselves with both the Strategy and the CSA Toolkit, which contain valuable guidance and resources to support practice.

A copy of the Child Sexual Abuse Strategy and Child Sexual Abuse Toolkit is attached and can also be accessed on the Child Sexual Abuse page of the WFSCP website.

This briefing summarises findings from a follow‑up multi‑agency Domestic Abuse re‑audit conducted by the Westmorland and Furness Safeguarding Children Partnership. The re‑audit reviews progress since the original audit completed in May 2025 and evaluates the impact of actions taken. It forms part of the partnership’s wider commitment to quality assurance and continuous improvement. The focus was specifically on Family Help, recognising its crucial role in early identification and intervention. The aim was to understand what has improved, what remains unchanged, and where further action is needed.

This can be found on the WFSCP website here: 7 minute briefings | Westmorland and Furness Safeguarding Children Partnership

Some Secondary schools in the south of the country have reported pupils using 3d printers to print off weapons and replica guns. These are being sold to other pupils. There is nothing to suggest this is happening in Cumbria.

Pol-Ed have added slides regarding these in the “Dangerous Weapons” school input.

A positive force in education | Pol-Ed - A positive force in education

The Children's Commissioner for England has launched The Big Future, a national survey that aims to gather the views, experiences and aspirations of children and young people across England. The survey is open throughout the summer and until 23^rd October 2026.

This is a valuable opportunity for children and young people to have their voices heard on issues that matter to them. The survey asks about:

• What they enjoy about childhood today
• The things that worry them
• How they have fun and spend their time
• The changes they would like to see for a better future

The survey takes approximately five minutes to complete and is open to children across England.

We would be grateful if you could share this opportunity through your teams, networks and communications channels with the children, young people and families you work with.

Survey Link: https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/thebigfuture

The Children's Commissioner will use the findings to help ensure that children's views are heard by those making decisions that affect their lives.

Thank you for your support in helping to amplify the voices of children and young people across Cumbria.